Nottingham: The Buried Past of a Historic City Revealed

by Scott Lomax

The Buried Past of a Historic City Revealed covers the story of the part of the city, which was known as Nottingham during the medieval times. It is an accessible read and the ideal book for anyone with a general interest in the history of the city of Nottingham, however, will suit professional archaeologists and students alike due to the large amount of previously unpublished material. Key points to be discussed include Nottingham Castle, the churches and friaries of the medieval period, the medieval town wall, Nottingham’s manmade caves, the industries that took place in Saxon and Medieval times, as well as little known facts such as Nottingham’s connections to the Vikings. This book also offers some possible answers to the never before published mysteries which archaeological work has uncovered such as the large burial site in the city center and a mysterious village or suburb which briefly existed just outside of the city center in the 14th century.

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2013

Reviews

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this informative review of archaeological evidence supporting or revealing the history of Nottingham. In some cases, as in the chapter discussing the man-made cave systems below Nottingham, the author left me hungry for more information, which was disappointing; on the other hand, the author does provide a comprehensive list of further reading on every subject he discusses, so he gives the means to pursue further interest.

Lomax is a careful archaeologist, sharing the theories of predecessors and pointing out their merits and flaws with care, while presenting his own opinions as nothing more than opinions until greater evidence comes to light. In other words, Lomax provides plenty of possibilities while avoiding any determined conclusions that might prove erroneous. He relies on his own hands-on knowledge as well as the sometimes contradictory record of previous specialists in his field and gives the reader plenty of room to draw their own conclusions or pursue the detailed reports of other archaeologists (or antiquarians).

I have had the pleasure of visiting Nottingham on a couple of occasions and enjoyed the opportunity of visiting several of the sights under discussion in the book, but a reading of Lomax's book convinces me there is plenty more of interest to warrant a future visit.